Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 4: Pay attention to the shape and size of the stool
• Method 2 of 4: Assess stool color
• Method 3 of 4: Consider Other Properties
• Method 4 of 4: Features of Newborn Stool
• Tips

Stool analysis often helps doctors identify and diagnose a variety of diseases of the digestive system, from infections caused by parasites to colorectal cancer. You yourself may notice that the stool has changed and you need to consult a doctor about this. But in order to understand that there are some problems with feces, you must know how it looks normal.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Pay attention to the shape and size of the stool

1. 1 Determine the length of the stool. Normally, it should be about 30 centimeters long. If the stool is much smaller and resembles a round pellet, then you are most likely constipated. In order to solve this problem, include in your diet foods containing fiber and drink plenty of fluids.
2. 2 Look at the width of the stool. If you systematically notice that the stool is thin, then it is worth discussing this with your doctor. The reason may be that a tumor or other foreign object is blocking the large intestine, and because of this, the feces come out thin.
3. 3 Pay attention to the consistency of the stool. Bowel bowel movements should be homogeneous, firm and slightly loose.
   • If the feces are loose or runny, you have diarrhea. Diarrhea can be caused by various infectious diseases, intestinal inflammation, malabsorption of nutrients, or psychological stress.
   • If the feces are lumpy, hard, and difficult to pass, you are most likely constipated.

Method 2 of 4: Assess stool color

1. 1 Find out what color your feces are usually of. Brown feces are considered normal, but minor deviations are permissible.
   • The feces can be green or yellow. This usually happens with mild diarrhea, when intestinal motility increases. Bile (the main pigment that stains feces) is initially green and eventually turns brown.
   • Light gray or yellow stool can be a sign of various liver diseases.
2. 2 Look for blood in the stool. Be sure to look out for stools if they are red or black as tar.
   • Stool that is bright red indicates bleeding at the end of the digestive tract, most likely in the large intestine or anus. Such bleeding, as a rule, occurs with minor inflammations, hemorrhoids, and other not very serious diseases. However, it can also indicate cancer. If you have repeatedly noticed bright red stools, or have painful sensations during bowel movements, be sure to consult your doctor.
   • If bleeding occurs in the upper digestive system, such as the stomach or small intestine, the stool will be dark red or black in color. The consistency of the stool will be viscous, like tar. If you notice such a chair, then immediately consult a doctor, as it may be a symptom of a peptic ulcer, bowel cancer or other serious diseases.
   • The feces may be red if you recently ate beets. However, the red color of beets is different from the color of blood. If the red has a magenta or magenta hue, then most likely the color of the stool has changed due to beets or food coloring, not blood.
3. 3 Do not worry if the stool has become an unusual color for a while. Most often, the color of stool changes due to food coloring. Even if it seems to you that you have not eaten food of this color, these dyes may be indistinguishable or masked by other colors that break down better. In addition, the dye can react with other pigments in the digestive tract and, as a result, color the stool in that color.

Method 3 of 4: Consider Other Properties

1. 1 Track how often you defecate. If everything is in order with the digestive system, then bowel movements occur regularly. However, "regularly" is a relative term, so you should know what that means in your case. Knowing how often your bowels are emptied normally will help you notice any changes that could be a symptom of a disease.
   • Normally, the intestines should be emptied one to three times a day. If you use the toilet more than three times a day, you have diarrhea. If you defecate less than once every three days, then it is considered constipation.
2. 2 See how the feces float in the water. Normally, it should slowly sink to the bottom of the toilet. If your faeces float on the surface of the water and don't drown, chances are you are eating too much fiber.
   • With pancreatitis, lipid absorption is impaired, due to which the feces become fatty and sink poorly. The feces can be so greasy that small drops separated from it will float in the toilet.
3. 3 Pay attention to the smell of your bowel movements. Feces always smell bad. At the same time, an unpleasant odor is an indicator that you have normal intestinal flora. However, if the smell has become stronger than usual, then this may be a symptom of various diseases. For example: bloody stools, infectious diarrhea, or malabsorption of nutrients.

Method 4 of 4: Features of Newborn Stool

1. 1 Don't worry about meconium, the first feces of a newborn. It usually comes out in the first 24 hours after the baby is born. The meconium is very dark, green-black in color, thick and sticky. It consists of rejected cells and waste accumulated in the womb. After two to four days, the baby's bowel movements will become more normal.
2. 2 Check the consistency of the stool. The stool of a newborn baby is different from normal stool for older children and adults. This is due to the fact that the digestive system in newborns has not yet been formed. Due to the fact that newborns eat liquid food, their stool resembles peanut butter or pudding in consistency. If the baby is bottle-fed, then his feces will be thicker and looser.
   • With diarrhea, the stool becomes so thin that it can flow out of the diaper onto the baby's back. Call your doctor if your baby is less than three months old and has diarrhea for more than a day, fever, or other symptoms.
   • Hard stools indicate constipation. If this is an isolated case, then there is no need to worry. If hard stools are common, then you need to consult a doctor. Severe constipation can be associated with diarrhea, with loose stools flowing through hard stool "plugs".
3. 3 Pay attention to the color. Children's feces are usually light. It can be yellow, green, or light brown. Don't worry if the color changes.The baby's digestive system is still developing, so different amounts of enzymes are produced and bowel movements occur at different frequencies.
   • Dark brown stools indicate constipation.
   • If after the passage of meconium, black feces appear, then this may be a symptom of bleeding. If you find small black blotches in the stool of a newborn, similar to poppy seeds, then most likely the baby simply swallowed blood from damaged nipples. The stool may be black if you are giving your child iron supplements.
   • If the stool is very light, pale yellow, or chalky-gray, it could be a symptom of liver disease or infection.
4. 4 Monitor your bowel movements. Normally, a child can defecate 1-8 times a day. Most often this happens 4 times a day. Moreover, each child, just like an adult, has its own "normal" regime. However, if a breastfed baby defecates less than once every 10 days, or a bottlefed baby defecates less than once a day, then you should discuss this with your doctor.
5. 5 Pay attention to stool odors. The feces of a newborn baby should not have a strong odor. In this case, the feces of a bottle-fed baby will smell stronger than that of a breast-fed baby. As soon as the child begins to eat "adult" solid food, his bowel movements will smell stronger.

Tips

• If you are constipated, eat more fiber and drink plenty of fluids. Thanks to fiber, feces increase in volume, and bowel movements occur more often. The liquid moisturizes the digestive tract, thereby facilitating the passage of feces.
• Many doctors agree that there is no "normal" and "abnormal" stool. Pay attention to any changes in the appearance of feces and the frequency of bowel movements.
• The changes described here can be a sign of a disease only if they appear for a long time. If you have only one fecal color change or a very unpleasant odor, then you should not worry. You need to see a doctor only if it happens often. An exception is blood in the stool.